


The Boggart

by Zirigosa



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Boggart, F/M, Magic, spell
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25203472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zirigosa/pseuds/Zirigosa
Summary: After confronting her Boggart, Audrey feels insecure and seeks for a little distraction.
Relationships: Neville Longbottom/Audrey Longbottom, Neville Longbottom/Audrey Winchester, Neville Longbottom/Original Female Character(s), reyville
Kudos: 6





	The Boggart

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skydrew](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skydrew/gifts).



> Audrey/Rey belongs to my friend Drew (tumblr: @drew-winchester, twitter: drewwinchester, IG: drewwinchester)

„If you ask me this could be … A cloud?“ Harry looked closer through squinted eyes.  
„I think I might see clouds….“

Ron snorted and shook his head, flipping page after page „That sure is a great way to predict something…“  
„Oh, okay, you know what, then tell me what you see.“ He handed the cup over to Ron, looking at Rey with a cheeky smirk.

Ron sighed, putting his book away, taking the cup in both hands, saying; „Blimey!“ As soon as he seemed to recognize something in it.  
„What??“ Harry and Rey said at the same time.  
„This is not a cloud, this is obviously a cat, Harry!“ „No, it’s not…!“

„It’s neither, it’s a tree.“ Hermione said, standing at the back of the couch behind Ron and Rey, watching the scene with suspicion. „Definitely a tree.“

Ron puffed. „If that's supposed to be a tree, y’all have tomatoes on your eyes.“  
„Why are you even doing this?“ Hermione asked Rey, as she sat down on the sofa opposite the couch and curiously picked up the book.  
„There's not even a proof of its truth... You don't believe in that stuff, do you?“  
„Well…“ Harry pulled his shoulders up. „We were just... trying…“ 

Ron pinched his lips together. „We just wanted to see a little bit of Drew's future, that's all.“  
„What?“ Hermione laughed irritated.  
„She's not feeling too well.“ Ron said. 

Rey cleared her throat, shaking her head. „Thanks, I... I can speak for myself, Ron. It's all right. These two were trying to cheer me up.“  
Hermione frowned. „By reading coffee grounds to you?“ „Yes! Maybe something funny would have come out of it…“ Ron said, still not sure if it was a tree, clouds, or a cat on the ground of the mug.  
„You're an idiot, Ron.“ Hermione sighed, reaching out to Rey.

„Come on, let's go for a walk!“

„What about the coffee grounds?“ Ron asked, but both Hermione and Rey had already disappeared. „…Oh boy, I don't get it.“ 

*

„You must know these two don't know anything about women.“ Said Hermione. „Sometimes they have an emotional range of a lit candle... But why did you go along with it?“  
Rey sighed softly and raised her shoulders. „There was... that little incident...“  
„An incident?“ Hermione sounded worried. „Is everything all right?“  
„Yeah, it's just... It's a bit complicated.“ „I’ve got time.“ She assured. „What do you say we go and sit by the lake? Just talk a little. You know, from woman to woman.“ „I’d like that. I don't even know where to start. I have so many thoughts in my head.“  
And everything here reminded her of him. Though she thought she needed a moment to realize the situation, it hurt how her best friend was just present in everything.  
„This is about Neville.“ Rey finally said. She and Hermione were just traipsing through the lush green grass. „You remember what happened in Professor Lupin's class?“  
„Yes, that- Oh…“ Hermione nodded slowly, she seemed to understand.

*

They all lined up in a row. Just as Professor Lupin told them to.

They had just witnessed Professor Snape wearing the clothes of Neville's grandmother - where, right before, he had been an imposing figure in a black cape with folded hands, threatening and gradually moving closer to Neville.  
He froze with fear before he countered with the magic. 

Rey didn't know what she was in for- there wasn't really anything that she was so afraid of.  
Disgusted by spiders, maybe, but the sheer fear? 

Neville, who still had a chalky pale expression on his face, shuffled slowly back while all the others lined up as Professor Lupin demanded.  
Rey smiled at Neville who shyly returned her smile and rubbed his neck in embarrassment.  
His best friend always encouraged him as much as she could - even in times like these when he doubted himself so much. 

It was the turn of the next student. Rey watched closely.  
Spiders, Clowns… The range was remarkable.  
Harry was right behind her. And when it was Rey's turn, she nervously took a deep breath in, taking that last step towards the boggart.

Riddikulus!

She was ready.  
She could hear the words echoing in the back of her head. She knew the spell- She knew what she had to do, yet, all of a sudden anxiety took over.  
The boggart changed his appearance, he twisted into shadows and took the form of something she could not recognize first. A silhouette, something that looked human-shaped- And turned its back on her.

Everyone watched closely, waited for Rey to cast the spell, but she remained silent, stared at the figure, and the world around her faded into darkness.

„Please don’t go.“ It hit her like thunder. Shook her to the core- Made her feel anxious, nauseous. 

The figure looked back at her, and one of her biggest fears just revealed itself to her.

„Is that Neville…?“ Ron asked confused. 

„Riddikulus!“ Professor Lupin intervened - and the figure just vanished, fell to the ground, and left nothing back but its robes. Professor Lupin smiled encouraging at Rey and nodded. „You did great.“ He patted her shoulder- And Rey smiled, tried to wipe away her sadness and insecurity with downplaying it all. „That was odd….“ „You okay?“ „Yes!“ She said.  
Professor Lupin knew, but he nodded again. „Alright, next!“ 

Rey turned around, taking a deep breath, trying to avoid Neville’s look because he seemed to be more worried than anyone else in this room.  
„Audrey?“ He reached out to her, but she walked a little faster to get to the end of the line. Neville hurried, caught up with her, asking in confusion- „What… I mean, was that….?“ 

But the focus turned quickly, as the room suddenly felt colder and hopelessness spread. Harry’s boggart was scaring the whole class- And Rey shuddered at its looks, remembering the incident on the Hogwarts Express.  
Again Professor Lupin intervened- And the boggart turned into a full moon.

Rey seemed nervous on so many levels, but she couldn’t get rid of any of these feelings. Instead, she just left without saying anything else, and as Neville turned back to talk to his best friend, she was gone.

*

„It’s been a couple of days now.“ Rey said. „And I don’t know if I ever will be alright again.“ 

Hermione sat down next to her. The grass felt good. It was cool, but not moist, and it smelled like fresh spring air. „Don’t say such things.“ Hermione answered. „Of course it will be alright again.“  
Rey sighed. She felt very exposed and a little ashamed, and Hermione knew- „You know, the good thing is, that I am very sure he feels the same. In some aspects, we forget to see it from a different angle. We think our thoughts are the only truth but… They’re not. And you’ve had bad thoughts before, and you’ll have them again. But you are still here, alive, and doing well and healthy. Your bad thoughts won’t harm you.“ She said. „We all do have them. How about talking to Neville in this case? He worries a lot.“

„You think?“ „Yes, and I think he’s in a similar situation, and there is nothing wrong with fearing to lose someone you love.“

Rey held her breath. She couldn’t tell her true feelings, that there was a glimpse, a slight feeling of more than just the platonic love of two best friends, but she buried it again.  
„And you shouldn’t be too hard on yourself. The happenings in the Hogwarts-Express caused many troubling thoughts too.“ She gently caressed Rey’s back. „You’re right.“  
„Of course I am.“ She answered with a chuckle. „And you really thought Ron and Harry would find something on the ground of an empty tea-cup??“

Rey giggled, thinking back of how the two boys tried to cheer her up. „Yeah... No. But it was fun to listen to them.“ Hermione nodded, rolling her eyes. „They can be such idiots, sometimes, can’t they??“


End file.
